When an educational institution goes into a lockdown mode, the teacher has to locate the classroom door key and must open the door and step into the hallway in order to lock the door from the outside. This places the classroom at risk and can take critical time away from other lockdown procedures, such as shutting off lights, pulling down window shades, and covering the door window. It would be beneficial to provide a device or means by which a teacher can lock the door within a few seconds without the need to open the door, thereby eliminating the time it takes to find the door key, open the door, lock the door from the outside, and step back into the classroom, all steps that compromise the safety of both the teacher and the students in the room. On the outside of the door, it would further be advantageous to provide a visual indicator on such a device to allow a safety officer or other personnel to determine quickly whether the door is locked or unlocked during lockdown mode.